Children's home run by ROC Northwest Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report for children’s home: SC442401 1 SC442401 Registered provider: ROC Northwest

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home. All four children were spoken to.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since October 2023 and registered with Ofsted in May 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

Date of last inspection: 28 February 2024

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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: SC442401 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2024 Full Good 28/02/2023 Full Good 24/03/2022 Full Good 03/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC442401 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and two children have moved out. One child moved to another home in this company and another child moved to supported accommodation. A child said, ‘It’s more settled and feels more homely here. I like everything about living here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is evidence of improvement and positive change in children’s lives. They make good progress in relation to their individual starting points and enjoy living at the home. Children enjoy trusting relationships with staff and sustain their positive attachments. They benefit from well-planned, highly individualised care that promotes their needs effectively. A social worker said, ‘[Name of child] has made massive progress and has good relationships with staff. They have matured so much and have come a long way.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s learning and maintain effective partnerships with the providers of their education. They help children to overcome any barriers to learning and support them to attend school regularly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are consistently met. Staff support children to attend their health appointments and encourage them to lead a healthy lifestyle. Staff support children to spend time with their families and friends. As a result, they sustain their close relationships with the people who matter most to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s interests and hobbies. Children enjoy go-karting, ice skating, football, going to the gym and trips to amusement parks. A child said, ‘It’s amazing. Staff take me on activities. I went on a rollercoaster ride for the first time in my life.’

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

Staff prioritise children’s safety and have a good understanding of their specific needs and vulnerabilities. Staff follow clear risk management plans to promote the safety and well-being of children. A social worker said, ‘Risks have reduced massively.’ A child said, ‘I have changed an awful lot.’

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

Staff provide a physically safe, warm, comfortable and homely environment for children. The home is cosy and nicely decorated and furnished. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to reflect their wants and individual wishes. However, there is damage in one child’s bedroom, including a broken bedside cabinet and damage to the ceiling. Both matters were quickly rectified during this inspection.

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

Strong partnerships with social workers, the police and other safeguarding agencies are maintained by staff. Staff ensure that significant incidents are reported to the appropriate authorities to keep children safe from harm. There is an effective response from staff when children are absent or go missing from the home. Staff are familiar with Inspection report for children’s home: SC442401 4 the procedures to be followed and actively look for children when they are missing from home. They work closely with the police to secure the children’s safe return.

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

Children know how to make a complaint and staff ensure that their complaints are addressed effectively. A child said, ‘I can easily speak to staff. Staff have always been there to support me. I appreciate everything that they have done for me.’

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

Staff implement consistent rules and boundaries to promote children’s positive choices and safety. Consequences to address unwanted behaviours are balanced, fair and proportionate. Staff use restorative practice and have reflective discussions with children to help them reflect on their choices. As a result, incidents of negative behaviour are reducing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively. A highly capable and experienced registered manager demonstrates strong leadership of the operations of the team. Leaders and managers champion the needs of children effectively and maintain a strong and visible presence in the children’s lives. A child said, ‘It’s more nurturing since they came here as the manager. They [the manager] try their best to understand the kids and make the children happy.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager leads staff by example and provides them with a very clear sense of purpose and direction. They motivate the staff team and channel their efforts and enthusiasm effectively. Staff share a common goal and strive to make a meaningful difference in children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A dedicated, energetic and deeply committed staff group offers children stability and consistency of care. As a result, children develop a very strong sense of permanence and belonging. One child has lived at the home for nearly three years and said, ‘The staff are all welcoming and are really nice people. I have really enjoyed living here.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a strong advocate of therapeutic parenting and love-led care. They ensure that children benefit from a caring, highly supportive and nurturing environment. The staff are trained in therapeutic parenting, and this enables them to develop strong and secure attachments with children. The manager fosters a culture of positivity and has consistently high aspirations for children. One member of staff said, ‘The manager has developed the team to have an understanding of a therapeutic approach, which has further developed the home to offer a love-led and positive environment for children to thrive.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are managed professionally and receive excellent support from leaders and managers. They benefit from regular practice-related supervision sessions and child- focused team meetings. The manager provides regular opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice, to deliver the best possible support and help to improve the children’s progress and experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: SC442401 5 Staff benefit from high-quality training to develop their skills and knowledge in meeting the specific needs of children. One member of staff said, ‘The team are prompt to respond to any concerns and the management are quick to consider additional training to develop staff’s understanding.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager strives to improve the quality of care provided for children. They use a range of highly effective quality assurance systems to ensure that they maintain excellent oversight of staff’s practice and can closely monitor the children’s progress and experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager uses external monitoring activities effectively, including obtaining regular feedback from children, staff and stakeholders. They address any identified weaknesses to promote continuous improvement. The manager has addressed and met the requirement and recommendation from the last inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC442401 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home is well maintained and that any damage is repaired quickly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC442401 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5th Floor, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC442401 8 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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