Children's Home run by Fairfield Residential Limited in Trafford

Inspection report for children’s home: SC387148 1 SC387148 Registered provider: Fairfield Residential Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The provider states in its statement of purpose that this home provides care for up to five children with learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder. The home is run by a private company and provides education on site at a registered school. The inspector only inspected the social care provision at this setting. At the time of the inspection, five children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2015.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 14 November 2023

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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: SC387148 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/11/2023 Full Good 20/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC387148 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person has moved out of the home since the last inspection. This was a planned move over a period of several months, which allowed the young person time to prepare for the move and for the staff to support them to develop the skills needed for the next stage of their life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved into the home since the last inspection. This move has been successful for the child as the environment meets their needs well and there are fewer transitions for them to be able to access the school on site.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home benefits from several different communal areas, including a sensory room, an activity room and a dining room. A large, enclosed garden also ensures that children have plenty of safe spaces when needed and areas where they are able to come together. Photos of the children, along with their artwork and achievements, are proudly displayed, which gives the home a family feel.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Four children attend the school on site, which provides continuity for the children. Another child goes to a local special school, where they have attended for some time. All children are making progress in their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are supported to develop life skills relevant to their age and understanding through the setting of specific targets. Senior staff ensure that these are regularly monitored and reviewed for effectiveness.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

It is important to the staff that children’s voices are heard. Staff communicate with children, using the children’s preferred communication methods, and understand the children well. The staff actively promote and encourage the children to make choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Where it is part of their plan, children enjoy time with their family at the home, in the community and at their family home. The staff work with placing authorities to try to rebuild children’s relationships with families for the benefit of the children and encourage relationships with other people where this is not possible.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. Children find attending health appointments difficult. However, with patience, preparation and trust, one child has received vaccinations that were previously missed and has attended a dental appointment. The staff obtain medical advice if they are concerned about a child’s health. However, when a child self-injures, there are not agreed plans in place to guide staff on how to manage this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy lots of activities inside and outside the home. Through careful planning and consideration, staff ensure that children get to have the same experiences as their peers despite their disabilities. For example, they identify inclusive parks and have Inspection report for children’s home: SC387148 4 supported a child to attend their birthday party. Children are also encouraged to be a part of their communities. For example, they have taken part in a charity walk.

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

The staff team has built strong relationships with children and is guided by thorough, individualised and regularly reviewed plans. As a result, incidents have decreased in frequency as children have become more settled.

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

Incidents of restraint are appropriate and reflected on by the staff. Reports are well evaluated by the manager. The staff ensure that children are spoken to following any use of physical restraint to ensure that they are well.

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

Any use of mechanical restraint has been appropriately assessed and agreed. The staff ensure that the least restrictive option of any restraint is always used. For example, some children require a walking harness in the community to keep them safe. However, when it is safe to do so, staff will not hold these to give children appropriate freedom and reduce restrictions.

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

All children are administered medication. Overall, this is managed appropriately. There has been one medication error since the last inspection. This was quickly identified and addressed with the staff member, and medical advice was sought for the child. However, staff were not provided guidelines on how to administer a recent medication.

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

Children take part in regular fire drills and have personal evacuation plans in place. This ensures that children know what to do in the event of a fire.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified. Additional managerial support is provided by a deputy manager and a senior member of staff. The manager ensures that all staff remain up to date with their training and that this is appropriately refreshed. This ensures that staff can acquire and develop knowledge that will help them support the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff team has been relatively consistent since the last inspection. However, the manager does not have a robust enough oversight of the recruitment checks for each staff member.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The managers of the home have oversight of children’s progress, and this is reviewed regularly. However, the manager does not ensure that the independent person speaks to children and parents. This is a missed opportunity to seek feedback and make improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive regular practice-related supervision, which they say is helpful to them in their role. Team meetings take place monthly; these are child focused, and the notes taken are detailed. When team meetings have not been scheduled, a communication Inspection report for children’s home: SC387148 5 book is put in place so that the deputy manager can let the team know of any concerns or issues that they may have. This strategy worked well when a child moved in during the school holidays.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager and staff team work closely with other professionals to ensure that children’s needs are met. However, the manager has not escalated her requests for documents that inform children’s care planning. Inspection report for children’s home: SC387148 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, The 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that all staff have had their full employment history verified, with any gaps explained. The registered person must ensure that staff have the appropriate permissions to work in the United Kingdom and have undergone Disclosure and Barring Service checks. 15 November 2024

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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 15 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC387148 7 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. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that requests for children’s local authority documents are escalated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires.(Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the independent person is supported and encouraged to request feedback from children and their parents. 15 November 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the appropriate guidelines to follow when administering prescribed medication. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should ensure that staff respond to children’s health needs, which includes administering basic first aid and seeking medical advice if required. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)

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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: SC387148 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Fairfield Residential Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 108 Whitworth Road, Rochdale OL12 0JJ

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Inspector

Kerri Lynch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC387148 9 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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