Children's home run by 3S Adolescent Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2672244 1 Registered provider: 3S Adolescent Care Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 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 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: 2672244 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/05/2023 Full Good 18/10/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2672244 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection. Since the last inspection, two children have left the home. One child moved to a placement in their home authority, while another child was supported to move to a foster placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made good progress because he benefits from well-planned care that is adapted to his changing needs and priorities. Staff provide a stable and supportive environment for the child. They are enthusiastic about the child’s progress as this has led to a significant reduction in incidents in the home, specifically in relation to behaviour management.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has clear health plans and is registered with the relevant primary healthcare services. He has access to specialist and therapeutic input provided by the organisation. There are good links with specialist services, such as mental health services. This means that the child receives specialist input that is tailored to meet his individual needs. Medication is stored and administered safely by trained and competent staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education arrangements are now in place for the child. These are tailored to his needs and consider his previous educational circumstances. Staff work in partnership with education providers and other relevant professionals to ensure that the child has every opportunity to reach his full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is fully involved in day-to-day decisions. He has regular one-to-one sessions and daily communication with staff. This helps to ensure that the child has ownership of decisions made in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff maintain regular communication with the child’s social worker and family members. They support and facilitate the child’s visits to family members. This promotes the child’s sense of identity and enables him to retain positive links with the people who are important to him.

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

The child’s risks and vulnerabilities are thoroughly assessed, regularly reviewed and well documented. Personalised risk assessments provide staff with the guidance they need to promote the child’s safety and well-being. This support helps staff to have a better understanding of the child’s vulnerabilities and promotes his emotional well-being.

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

Staff understand the child’s individual triggers and behaviours very well. They take prompt action to support him to manage his emotions in a constructive manner. A strength of the home is the consistency of the staff in their implementation of behaviour management strategies. Inspection report for children’s home: 2672244 4 If the child goes missing from the home, staff respond quickly to the associated risks and know how to follow missing-from-care protocols. They escalate concerns by working in partnership with the local authority, local services and the police to ensure that the child returns home safely.

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

The child lives in a physically safe environment. There are measures in place to ensure that the home is free of hazards. Regular fire drills are carried out to ensure that the child knows what he needs to do in the event of an emergency.

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

Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures promote the child’s safety by preventing unsuitable adults from working with him.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has been in post since May 2023. She is suitably qualified and experienced and is well respected by staff and children. The manager provides excellent leadership. She scrutinises all aspects of the service to ensure that it continues to meet the child’s needs and helps him to reach his potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager supports others to develop their own practice and skills. Staff told the inspector that the manager is very supportive. They receive regular supervision and attend team meetings that support and develop the staff team. This ensures that the manager and staff team understand each other’s strengths and areas for development. As a result, staff are well supported and supportive of each other.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff take part in regular learning from carefully selected research to help them to fully understand the child. For example, training from the child’s appointed clinical psychologist has allowed staff the space to consider their practice and receive expert guidance on how to manage the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are clear and effective systems in place to monitor the home. As a result, where practice falls short of expectations, the manager identifies the issues quickly and rectifies them. This means that everyone understands their role and meets the manager’s expectations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and her staff have developed excellent relationships with a variety of partners, including parents, social workers, education services and the police. These relationships ensure that the child receives the optimum support to develop well in all areas of his life. A social worker said, ‘I have a great working relationship with the staff and manager in the home. I have regular contact with them through phone calls or email.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2672244 5

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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: 2672244 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 9b Turner Business Centre, Greengate, Middleton M24 1RU

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Inspector

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2672244 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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