Children's home run by Salford City Council in Salford

Inspection report for children’s home: SC394283 1 SC394283 Registered provider: Salford City Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a local authority and provides care for up to five children with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024.

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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 outstanding

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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: SC394283 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2023 Full Good 24/05/2022 Full Good 07/02/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/06/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC394283 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well cared for. They form strong and positive relationships with staff and feel safe and secure. Staff treat the children with dignity and respect. Staff spoke fondly and with pride about the children they support. One parent said, ‘They [staff] look after [name of child] and make them happy. It’s a really good place.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make sure that the children’s views, wishes and feelings are heard and acted on. They actively seek the children’s views on all aspects of their care, through a variety of methods such as ‘my time’ sessions, children’s meetings and consultations. All the children said that they feel listened to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s educational needs are met. All the children have completed their exams and have plans and aspirations for their futures, which the staff are supporting them to achieve. After the summer holidays, one child has plans to join the army and another child is enrolled on a personal trainer course. Children’s positive behaviour and achievements are suitably celebrated and rewarded.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s health needs. Children are supported to attend routine health appointments and to access specialist health and well-being support when needed, such as emergency treatment, support for mental health and emotional well-being and sexual health services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children are supported to take part in activities and to try new things that they may not have had the opportunity to do before. Staff also respect that, due to the children’s ages and their level of independence, they often prefer to spend time with their friends or family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s time with family and friends is supported in line with agreed plans. This ensures that children can maintain relationships which are important to them. When there are concerns around time with family or friends, the staff share these worries with other professionals and work in partnership with them to explore safe solutions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move on from the home, they are prepared in the best possible way. Staff help children develop independence skills and support their moves to their new homes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff take pride in the home environment and ensure that it is maintained to a high standard, meets the needs of the children and feels and looks like a family home. It is a nice place for children to live.

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

Children feel safe. They can identify a trusted member of staff who they can talk to about any concerns. Children seek out staff when they need adult support, and staff Inspection report for children’s home: SC394283 4 respond promptly and sensitively. Staff are not afraid to have difficult and challenging conversations with children. Staff support children to understand risks and how to keep themselves safe. Children said that they feel protected.

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

There have been no safeguarding concerns or allegations since the last inspection. Staff are suitably trained in safeguarding and other specific topics to keep children safe, such as child exploitation, online safety and missing from home. Staff support children to take risks appropriate to their age or level of understanding. The manager encourages children and the staff to learn from any incidents when things do not go to plan.

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

Staff understand contextual safeguarding risks. When children are at risk of exploitation, staff can identify the signs. They support children to learn about safe relationships and to identify when they may be in unsafe situations. Staff show professional curiosity to gather information and share this with the necessary professionals, such as the police. As a result, one child’s risk of exploitation has significantly reduced since they moved into the home.

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

When children go missing from home, there are clear and comprehensive plans in place for staff to follow. The manager and staff work with external professionals to ensure that there are well-coordinated responses when children go missing from the home. Staff are proactive in their searches to locate children and support them to return home safely.

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

When it has been necessary to physically hold a child to keep them safe, this has been reasonable and proportionate. The manager has oversight of reports of physical intervention and ensures that staff actions are reflected on after the incident. Children have the opportunity to talk through their understanding of why a hold was used and to discuss their feelings about the incident.

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

Staff are proactive in supporting children when they have caused harm to themselves or when they feel overwhelmed by their feelings. They support children to access emergency medical help when necessary. Staff actively seek to understand the triggers for self-harming behaviour.

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

Support plans and risk assessments are detailed documents which are regularly updated and have clear information and guidance for staff to follow to ensure that the care provided is consistent. Plans are child-centred and include the child’s voice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is an experienced manager in place who is dedicated and inspirational. She is supported by a deputy manager who shares her ambitious vision for what children can achieve. Leaders and managers know the children well. The manager has successfully created a culture in which staff place the needs of children at the heart of their practice and aspire to improve the lives of the children who live in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC394283 5 The manager has organised systems in place to ensure that she has oversight of the home and is aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses. There are effective monitoring systems to identify when change or improvements are needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff are positive about the manager and describe a supportive environment. Staff describe the manager as a good role model and say she is readily available to provide advice and guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a stable and consistent staff team in place. Staff have clear roles and responsibilities and have a shared sense of ownership and accountability. They work well as a team and managers lead by example.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff and managers are well trained. They have all the necessary training to meet the needs of the children. Staff trust the manager and feel secure in their roles and in the quality of care they offer to children. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Regular supervision sessions are recorded to ensure that staff are supported in their development. Supervision is practice-related and is also used as a support tool for staff. Supervisions are centred around meeting the needs of the children, including their experiences, needs and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Team meetings are regular and encourage staff to be innovative and share creative ideas to maintain the highest standards of care for children. The meetings are an opportunity for staff to share information and updates about the children, and any changes to policies and risk assessments. The meetings are reflective, giving the staff opportunities to learn from previous incidents and identify how improvements can be made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and staff work in partnership with families and external professionals such as local police, social workers and education providers, to ensure that there is a team around the child who can all support the best outcomes for the child. One social worker said, ‘[Name of child] has grown and flourished since living there.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

At this inspection there were no requirements or recommendations made.

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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: SC394283 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Salford City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, Chorley Road, Swinton, Manchester M27 5DA

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Inspectors

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Nicola Jeffery, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC394283 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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