Children's Home run by Residential Child Care Community (Town Hall) Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2746893 1 Registered provider: Residential Child Care Community Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private company. The home provides care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2023.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2746893 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy and identify this as their home. Staff work hard to build positive relationships with children. These relationships provide the foundation for children to flourish. One child said, ‘This is the best home I have ever lived in, and I never want to move again.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s needs are thoroughly assessed before they move into the home. This means that only children whose needs can be met by this home live there. Children who are new to the home are welcomed sensitively. The registered manager decorates the children’s bedrooms with their favourite things. This creates a familiar and welcoming environment that helps children to settle into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to access education in line with their individual plans. Staff work creatively with education professionals. This includes sharing information to identify any barriers children may have with their education. This provides an approach in which children’s needs are understood and individualised education plans are developed, which helps children to make educational progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a range of activities that enable them to spend their time constructively. Staff encourage children to pursue their interests and hobbies. Staff celebrate children’s achievements with them, which builds children’s confidence. One child has made significant progress with horse-riding lessons since moving into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff routinely seek children’s views about the care they receive. Managers respond to children’s views and ensure that children understand how their views have been acted on. Children know how to make a complaint and have access to advocates. Staff support children to attend their own care planning meetings. This helps children to contribute to decisions made about all aspects of their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of supporting children’s relationships with their families. Staff and managers make a considerable effort to help children spend time with those who are important to them. Staff support family members to understand the evolving needs of their children. This helps children to maintain a sense of belonging within their family and build on their support networks for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to develop positive relationships with neighbours. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging in their local community.

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

Staff have a clear understanding of their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. Children benefit from a stable staff team that knows them well. Inspection report for children’s home: 2746893 3 Children’s plans detail their individual needs and provide staff with clear steps to take to keep them safe. The registered manager ensures that children’s plans are reviewed regularly and kept up to date. Staff have a good awareness of the triggers for behaviour. This enables them to anticipate incidents and take action to prevent behaviours from escalating. As a result, children’s known risks reduce.

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

Direct work is completed with children to help them understand how to manage difficult feelings safely. Boundaries for children are clear, and incentives are used to encourage positive behaviours. Staff encourage children to take on more personal responsibility in line with their individual abilities. This includes developing their independence skills.

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

Children who are missing from home experience a coordinated response that reduces risk of harm. When children return home, they are offered the opportunity to speak to an independent person. This helps staff to understand the reasons why children go missing.

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

Children live in a welcoming home environment which is physically safe and secure. Children personalise their own bedrooms and take pride in their home. Bedroom door alarms are used only when necessary to keep children safe. Searches of children’s bedrooms are completed sensitively, with children present whenever possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is visible and leads by example. She speaks with passion about the children, which creates a culture of child-focused practice. The registered manager has a good understanding of the quality of care that children receive and takes decisive action to address shortfalls in practice. This helps staff to understand what is expected of them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they enjoy working in the home and feel supported by the management team. Staff have regular supervision and team meetings. This enables them to contribute to decisions about changes in practice and understand children’s evolving needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff induction arrangements are effective. Staff access a range of training that gives them the knowledge and skills to meet the specific needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has effective working relationships with other professionals. External professionals are overwhelmingly positive about the manager’s communication with them and the care that the children receive. The registered manager uses appropriate challenge to external professionals when children’s needs are not met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2746893 4 Some language used in children’s records is subjective and does not distinguish between fact and opinion. This is not helpful to children should they want to read their records. Inspection report for children’s home: 2746893 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff record information about children in a non-stigmatising way, which distinguishes between fact and opinion. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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 Childrens Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2746893 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Residential Child Care Community (Town Hall) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 843 Finchley Road, London NW11 8NA

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Inspector

Sally Griffiths, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2746893 7 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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